Ornate Cat-eyed Snake

Ornate Cat-eyed Snake

Leptodeira ornata

Silhouette: PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Piedras Blancas National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

59 Verified sightings at Piedras Blancas National Park From 2019 to 2026
368 In all 13 parks
February Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Ornate Cat-eyed Snake

Leptodeira ornata, the northern cat-eyed snake or ornate cat-eyed snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
2 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
3 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
4 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
5 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
6 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
7 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
9 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
10 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
12 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
13 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake in Piedras Blancas National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake sighting in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake in Piedras Blancas National Park?

July, September and December–February

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ornate Cat-eyed Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Piedras Blancas National Park the best place to see an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake?

Yes

Of the 13 parks where we can rate Ornate Cat-eyed Snake sightings, Piedras Blancas National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Corcovado National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%) and Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Ornate Cat-eyed Snake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ornate Cat-eyed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Piedras Blancas National Park (59 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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